If you’re pining for a girl, you can pay around $10,000 for MicroSort, a technology that can separate the “girl” and “boy” sperm, or you can try combining several of the old wives’ tales about how to increase your chances of conceiving a girl. These methods are based on the idea that the sperm with X chromosomes (which creates girls) is slow but hardy, while the sperm that carries Y chromosomes (which creates boys) is fast, but dies quickly. Your chances of conceiving a girl normally are about 50/50, but you may be able to increase your chances.
Step 1
Predict your date of ovulation. Track your menstrual cycle over several months. By taking your basal body temperature every morning, you can determine when you ovulated by noting a spike in body temperature the day after. You can also use ovulation test strips to see when you’re going to ovulate. Hopefully, you have a regular cycle and will note that you generally ovulate on a specific day in your cycle.
Step 2
Have sex three or four days before your predicted date of ovulation. In theory, the boy sperm will die off, leaving only girl sperm by the date that you ovulate.
Step 3
Have sex in the missionary position. Positions that allow for shallow penetration, like the missionary position, don’t place the sperm directly next to the cervix. This allows the girl sperm to have a better chance.
Step 4
Increase your body’s acid levels. Some believe that an acidic body destroys the boy sperm, making it more likely that you’ll conceive a girl. To do this, eat citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruits.
Step 5
Use barrier methods the day before and the day of ovulation. Though you may have had sex a few days before ovulation, if you also have sex on the day of or the day before, there’s a chance that the boy sperm will beat out the girl sperm.
